Hinged door for railway cars



y 1933. G. G. GILPIN 1,907,059

HINGED DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Sept. 14, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l jrwenzor lllllllllllllllll ulilOlAfiMQllJlllllllll. w

r |1L z o May 2, 1933. G. e. GILPIN HINGED DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Sept. 14, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 2 fflvenfor: I (712% G G1'1z May 9 a. G. @smm HINGED DOOR FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Sept, 14 1929 Skwe'hs sheat 5 fiw miom 612%? G Hzmey Patented May 2, 1933 oFric GARTH G. GELPIN, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CGRPORATIDN 033 DELAWARE HINGED 1300? F63 RAILW'AY CABS Application filed September 14., 1929. Serial No. 392,632.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars having drop doors, such as hopper cars, hopper gondola cars, drop bottom or general service gondola cars, mill type gondolas having drop end doors, or the like, having a door forming a part of the car for retaining the load therein, which door is provided with hinges adjacent one of its edges and is capable of being dropped or swung open. Any means of raising the door to the closed position and any means for locking and releasing the door may be em ployed with my device. Such a door is commonly called a hopper door.

My door may be made of cast metal or a metall c rolled plate formed to the desired shape between dies.

An object of the invention is to provide a door of cast metal, preferably malleable iron or cast steel, having a panel portion forming a floor or wall of a hopper and to form and shape the entire door so that it will not be deformed by warping when cooling, and furthermore, will eliminate shrinkage cracks and internal stresses.

Another object is to provide a door of rolled steel or other metal which may easily be formed between dies upon a reciprocating press.

Another object of the invention is to reinforce a hopper car door in such a way to also increase tne cubical capacity of the car.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 to A inclusive show my door designed for application to a railway hopper car.

Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive show the door designed for application to a general service car.

Figs. 8 to 11 inclusive show modifications wherein the depressed portion is formed semi-spherically.

Figs. 12 and 13 show modified constructions of the margins of the door.

Figs. 14- to 16 inclusive show the preferred forms of the relation between the door and the edge of the hopper door opening.

Figs. 17 to 20 inclusive show further modified constructions.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a typical hingeable door for a hopper of a railway car according to my invention.

This door comprises amain portion 2 and a central depressed portion 3 in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by a continuous web A. The main portion is preferably substantially flat to engage flat hearing surfaces adjacent the edges of the hopper opening. The depressed portion is preferably flat on small doors but if the door is large this depressed portion is preferably semi-spherical and may project upwardly to form an arch, as shown in Fig. 10, or may project downwardly to. form a suspension member, as shown in Fig. 11.

The web is preferably positioned obliquely so as not to retain any part of the load on the door when it is in dropped position. However, the web may be at right angles to the main portion and still come wi hin the scope of the invention. The main portion 2, the web 4; and a part of the depressed portion 3 form what is known as a Z-section, which is very strong in both compression and tension, and the remainder of the depressed portion carries the load to this Z- section. In larger doors the depressed portion 3 may have to be reinforced in order to carry the load to the Z-section, in which case I prefer to provide reinforcements, such as corrugations, as shown in Fig. 18, or simple ribs 19 if the door is made of cast metal, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The Z-section extends continuously around the perimeter of the door. The web 4 also extends con tinuously around the door and is spaced apartfrom the outer margin thereof. This web is preferably formed on large radii 6 at the corners of the door so that the stresses caused by the imposed load will not concentrate at any corner of the door.

In the usual form of hopper door the upper surface is flat and corresponds to the main portion 2 of my door so it will be observed that in my construction the cubical capacity of the car is increased. In the standard A. R. A. hopper car now in general use my door increases the cubical capacity about eight cubic feet, which permits the car to carry about four hundred more pounds of coal.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show a hingeable door designed for use in so-called general service cars wherein the horizontal floor is composed of a. plurality of doors hinged to the center construction of the car. In this design I have shown a depending flange 7 adjacent the perimeter of the door which may be necessary on suchlarge doors. I have also shown a rib 8 extending continuously from each hings lug 9 to the forward edge of the door where it is perforated (10) for attachment to any arm or lever forming a part of the door raising, supporting bracket or locking mechanism. This door is also provided with another rib 11 substantially normal to the first mentioned rib and extending across the depressed portion and terminating into or adjacent the door stops 12.

.hese door stops engage stops on the car frame when the door is in open position.

The hinge lug 15 is connected with the web 4 of the door by the web 16 and is also connected to the main portion 2 and preferably also to the depressed portion 3 by members 17 and 18 respectively. These members, together with the web 16, form an 1- beam section of great strength.-

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have shown a, supporting bracket of similar I-beam section comprising a web 20, an upper member 21, and a lower member 22. This supporting bracket must necessarily be formed to accommodate the supporting mechanism used.

In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown a typical section adjacent the margin of my door showing the main portion 2, depressed portion 3 and web 4 and in these modifications the main portion is enlarged at its outer edges to stiffen the outer edges and retard the starting of cracks in the member. These enlarged portions may be a bead, 23, as shown in Fig. 12; a wedge shape portion 24,

as shown in Fig. 13, or a. small depending flange.

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 show how the door engages portions of the frame of the hopper surrounding the door opening.

In Fig. 14 the inclined wall of the hopper is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 31 spaced apart from its lower margin forming a groove into which the main portion 2 and web 4 of the door fit.

Fig. 15 is a modification of Fig. 14 wherein the hopper wall 32 is formed with a. portion 33 parallel to the main portion 2 of the door and a flange 34 parallel to the web 4 of the door.

Fig. 16 shows a modification wherein the hopper wall 37 has an offset portion 38 which is adapted to engage the main portion 2 of the door. The hopper may be provided with a flange 39.

The common form of hopper car now in general service on the railroads has a pair of spaced apart hoppers, that is, a hopper is positioned on each side of the center construction of the car and these hoppers are closed by a pair of doors ha *ing their hinges in alignment. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a spreader 40 which connects the spaced apart hopper doors and is secured preferably to the depressed portion 3 of the door and anyconvenient form of door raising mechanism may be used to close the doors through the medium of the spreader. The extension 41 is provided to engage a mechanism which holds the outer edges of the doors in closed position.

Figs. 17 and 18 show a modification wherein my door is made of a metallic plate and pressed to provide a main portion 2, depressed portion 3 and connecting web 4. These figures also show corrugations 45 reinforcing the depressed portion to enable it to carry the load to the opposite Z-sections of the door margins. In this modification I have shown a cast door hinge lug 46 which is preferably riveted to the main portion 2 and the depressed portion 3 and also if possible to the web 4. If a spreader 47 is used with my door the corrugations preferably te *minate adjacent it.

Figs. 19 and 20 show a modification wherein the hinge strap 50 is extended to reinforce the depressed portion 3 between the opposite Z-sections of the door margins. The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

'1. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, com prising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a continuous web, and a hinge lug integrally connected with said web.

2. A hingeable-door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, and a hinge lug integrally connected with said web and one of said portions.

' 3. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, and a hinge lug integrally connected with said web and both of said portions.

4. A hingeable. door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, a hingelug integrally connected with said web, and a su porting bracket integrally connected with said web.

5. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, a hinge lug 1ntegrally connected with said web, and a supporting bracket integrally connected with said web and one of said portions.

6. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, a hin 'e lug 1ntegrally connected with said web, and a supporting bracket integrally connected with said web and both of said portions.

7. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, a hinge lug integrally connected with said web, a supporting bracket integrally connected with said web, and a rib connecting said hinge lug to said supporting bracket.

8. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web, a hinge lug integrally connected with said web, a supporting bracket integrally connected with said web, a rib connecting said hinge lug to said supporting bracket, and another rib normal to the first mentioned rib extending across said depressed portion.

9. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car, comprising a main portion and a depressed portion in spaced apart substantially parallel planes connected by a web and reinforcing elements extending between the webs on opposite sides of the door.

10. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising relatively narrow substantially fiat marginal portions, a continuous web adjacent said marginal portions, and a substantially flat depressed. portion extending uninterruptedly between the parts of the web, said depressed portion extending outwardly from the interior of the so as to increase the cubical capacity of the car.

11. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway dump car comprising relatively narrow substantially flat marginal portions, a continuous oblique web adjacent said marginal portions, and a substantially flat depressed portion er;-

tending uninterruptedly between the parts of the web, saiddepressed portion extending outwardly from the interior of the car so as to increase the cubical capacity of the car,

12. A railway dump car provided with a discharge opening having a fiat surface adjacent its edges in combination with a door hinged to the car to close the opening, said door comprising a flat marginal portion for engagement with said fiat surface, a depressed portion spaced apart from the marginal portion of substantially the same area as the opening, and a web connecting said portions.

13. A railway dump car provided with a discharge opening having a flat surface and depending fiange adjacent its edges in combination with a door hinged to the car to close the opening, said'door comprising a fiat marginal portion for engagement with said flat surface, a depressed portion spaced apart from the marginal portion of substantially the same area as the opening, and a web connecting said portions positioned for engagement with said flange.

1-1. A railway dump car provided with a discharge opening in combination with a door hinged to the car to close the opening, said door comprising a fiat marginal portion, a flat central portion spaced apart from the marginal portion of substantially the same area as the opening, and a continuous oblique web connecting said portions formed on relatively large radii adjacent the corners of the door.

15. In a railwaycar, the combination of an opening for the discharge of lading having margins in a substantially single plane and a door to close said opening, said door comprising portions engaging said margins of the opening when the door is in closed position, a depressed portion in a plane spaced apart and substantially parallel to the plane of said margins and a continuous web connecting said portions, said depressed portion extending outwardly from the interior of the car so as to increase the cubical capacity of the car.

1 6. In a railway car having a pair of separated hoppers, the combination of a pair of doors hinged to the car for simultaneously opening or closing said hoppers, each of said doors having a depressed portion eX- tending outwardly from the interior of the car so to increase the cubical capacity of the car, a spreader secured to the de pressed portion of both of said doors, and an extension at each end of the spreader secured to the depressed portion of the adjacent door.

17. In a railway car having a pair of separated hoppers, the combination of a pair of doors hinged to the car for simultaneously opening or closing said hoppers,

each of said doors having a depressed portion extending outwardly from the interior of the car so as to increase the cubical capacity of the car, a spreader secured to the depressed portion of both of said doors, and an extension at each end of the spreader secured to the depressed portion of the adjacent door and to the spreader.

18. In a railway car having a pair of separated hoppers, the combination of a pair of doors hinged to the car for simultaneously opening or closing said hoppers, each of said doors having a depressed portion extending outwardly from the interior of the car so as to increase the cubical capacity of the car, and a spreader secured to the depressed portion of both of said doors, said depressed portions provided with reinforcing corrugations extending between one margin of the depressed portion and the spreader.

19. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car consisting of an integral casting comprising a main portion, and a depressed central portion connected by a continuous web, said door also comprising integral hinge lugs on one side of the door and integral supporting brackets on the opposite side of the door.

20. A, hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car consisting of an integral casting comprising a body portion, integral hinge lugs on one side of the door and integral supporting brackets on the opposite side of the door, each of said supporting brackets being directly opposite a hinge lug.

21. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car consisting of an integral casting comprising a body portion, integral hinge lugs on one side of the door, and integral supporting brackets on the opposite side of the door, each of said supporting brackets being directly opposite a hinge lug and reinforcing ribs extending from the hinge lugs to the opposite supporting brackets.

22. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car consisting of an integral casting comprising a main portion, a depressed central portion connected by a continuous web, said door also comprising integral hinge lugs on one side of the door, integral supporting brackets on the opposite side of the door, and reinforcing ribs extending from the hinge lugs to the opposite supporting brackets, stops at the opposite ends of the door, and a reinforcing rib substantially normal to the oo' first mentioned rib extending across the depressed portion and terminating adjacent said stops.

23. A hingeable door forming part of the load retaining means of a railway car comprising a body portion, and a depressed por- GARTH G. GILPIN. 

